Scorched: The Baku pitch is being monitored ahead of the game between Celtic and Qarabag.

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CONFUSION continues to surround Celtic’s Champions League preparations in Baku after UEFA insisted Ronny Deila’s players will not be allowed to train on Qarabag’s threadbare pitch tonight.

Scotland’s champions are scheduled to begin their final preparations for the Champions League tie at 5.30pm UK time, when they expect to get their first feel of the controversial playing surface at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium.

But within the past half hour, UEFA’s press office have confirmed that a decision has already been taken to force both sides to train at alternative venues.

The Tofiq Bahramov Stadium (Image: Ronnie Esplin/PA Wire)

A UEFA spokesman said: “Our guys from the competition unit are in contact with the UEFA match delegate. The latest information I got from them was that there will be no training in the stadium tonight. It’s the same for both teams.

“That was the decision as of this morning. We have not been informed of any changes at this stage but I will let you know if we have any updates.

“As it stands it is correct that both teams will be told to train somewhere else. This happens some times even in the group stages of the Champions League and the Europa League. Sometimes the pitch needs to be protected so there is no training.”